نشریه مطالعات میان رشته ای فرهنگ و ارتباطات
پیاپی 2 (بهار و تابستان 1389)

The article discusses the dimensions and development of the theories presented by Parsons as an influential figure in American sociology. Every scholar, including Parsons, is affected by some of his personal and social elements. These comprise the initial section of the article followed by the theorist’s endeavors and the formation of his sociological thoughts. In this process, Parsons first made an attempt to offer a comprehensive framework for his sociological theory under the name of “Actional Voluntarism’’. He believed that the sociological theories of classical scholars namely Marshal, Pareto, Weber and Durkheim converged on his given framework. He then proceeded to extend the function to social order. In the remaining part of the article, there is some reference to structural functionalism as a theory which dominated American sociology for years. The ending part mentions some of the critical remarks in this regard.

By communication and political propaganda, We mean an exchange of socio-political information and facts among practitioners of politics, an event which happens through the development of relationship among those involved and their utilization of tools andprocesses of transferring political messages. The collection of models, tools and processes used in this field is what we can call ``political communication’’ the main objective of which is, in modern terms, to salisfy the public opinion. One of the objective domains of this form of communication in Iranian society is the circumstances under Pahlavi the Second. To study this requires a knowledge of the developments and texture of Iranian society, and the origins and communicative objectives of Shah and his court. Shah, whoselegitimacy had waned especially after his restoration in the 1330, (A. H), was led to a neglect of the ruling models of political communication by deciding to put them in the service of the praise of royal regime. This size of political propaganda aimed at portrayingShah as simultaneously a traditional and charismatic figure. This situation doubled the social contradictions of the time. Meanwhile, the traditional and local network of political relations that centered on people and religious leaders was being reinforced and expanded, which would make the society immune to Pahlavi’s propagandist measures. This article, after a review of the ruling factors of people and the state’s interrelationship under Pahlavi the second, examines Shah’s propaganda and its degree of success in convincing the society and raising Shah’s legitimacy.

This article intends to extract the ideal model of faith from contemporary traditonalist discourse. To do this, the ideas of Sayyed Hossein Nasr, a prominent representative of the discourse, are used as the base and it has been tried to make a unified review of his opinions as regards the manners of proclaiming faith recommended by a traditionalist reading of Islam. The method used is the qualitative content analysis. The data (basic texts) are codified at three levels: descriptive, subject-based, and analytical leading to a framework of concepts which could represent Nasr’s view of the best form of faithfulness. This framework shows that the traditionalist discouse, while insisting on the internal coherence of all traditional religious components and their necessity for realizing man’s ultimate existential goal, finds any form of individualistic and eclectic deviation fromShari’a (Islamic law) to be incompatible with genuine faith, and considers the intrusion of modernist components as a deviation from the path. The conclusion is that most seemingly religious behavioral patterns of modern generation are not conforming with the ideal model of faith, a fact that implies a total return to the traditionalist bases.

This article presents next to Ibn-Batuta and his famous book of travels, some aspects of Shiite social life in the first half of 8th century (A. H.). This choice is due to the fact that travelogs are among the best resources for doing research on social history, because theyportray their author’s direct contact with people. Ibn Batuts’s book offers issues such as the most important Shiite settlement, their traditions and rituals performed in religious cities namely Mashad, Karbala, Helleh, Kufa, Najaf and at different Shia’s shrines, and alsothe conditions of Sadat (descendants of the Prophet’s Household) and signs of Shiite jurisprudence and doctrine. It should be noticed that Shias in this article are restricted to Duodecimans and don’t include the Ismaeelites, Zeydias, Nasiryas, etc.

In this article we have tried to achieve a deeper understanding of chastity at all levels of human communication, by establishing links between pertinent Islamic instructions and thecommunicative science. This will help us provide a practical basis for any Muslim in the first place and in the second facilitate cultural policy making on the issue of chastity. By chasity we mean the establishment of an asexual human communication both in theory andpractice except in matrimony. The article also tries to provide definitions of chastity at various intro and intrapersonal and public levels in accordance with Islamic prescriptions and in regard to verbal and non-verbal forms of communication.

Leaders of religions and schools have had innovative means to communicate with their proponents and develop their religious knowledge. Shia leaders have been no exception. Doubtless, in an age devoid of mass media, the propagation of religious messageswas possible only through preaching. This kind of limitation led the Shia to innovate a new media, known as Ta’zia (a form of passion play), in order to consolidate its religious and ritual communication. Ta’zia soon reached a prominent place among the masses. Itsformation, historically speaking, was however a gradual process, which took centuries of ups and downs. In this effective ritual, communicative components such as color, voice and motion play a conspicuous role next to other various functions. In this article wehave tried to show the communicative components and functions of Ta’zia as a traditional media used by the Shia. Library research has been the basis of this study.

Dick Hebdige, a pioneer of Birmingham Cultural Studies School Published his book, “Subculture and the Meaning of Style’’ in 1979 and made a new theoretical development in the sociological concept of juvenile deviation. He opened up new outlooks in regard to subcultural behaviors in the form of adopting new styles of dress,make up and above all music, which stood apart from the dominant and official culture of the older generation. He refers to the theoretical framework that was rooted in the overall intellectual system of left especially the ideas of Antonio Gramsci, and makes a case study of Punks in the post-war Britain. The book provides the historical context of the formation and rise of the British sub-culture of the young blue-collar workers. The article also refers to some of the existing shortcomings of the book.